At Cimarrona we are starting the New Year off by reworking the studio space. We- mostly me (Leslie) fill up the approximately 450 square foot space. I think I do a pretty good job making the space work for me, but right now its clean, rearrange, streamline and simplify time. In my previous life as an art teacher, hanging onto anything and everything was the word of the day- you never knew when “someone might need it for an art project”. Well, old habits die hard- but I am really trying. If you stop by the studio you are likely to walk out the door with some “gift”. I put that in quotes because it would likely just be something that I didn’t want to throw into the trash, and maybe you had some better use for it than I. Art teachers being my most willing victims in this case. One of my goals for 2012 is to blog more frequently and I just got the internet going over at the studio, making this all much easier. I’ll do my best to keep folks up to date with what is going on in the studio, and make sure that if there is anything you are looking for- you can find it in the web shop. So, eat some black eyed peas for good luck, write down your goals for good intention, and have a healthy and happy 2012.

by Shannon

We are about to head back to the Sons of Hermann Hall for the Randy Brodnax Christmas Show – the first full day. Friday was a beautiful blur of repeat customers, and people finding Cimarrona for the first time. Some had been to other shows earlier this year, and came back for more as well.
We have a great spot on the second floor again, and it allows Leslie to have the space to show a lot of the hats and Woolagains. People are going a bit wild over the Woolagins and tooth fairy pillows.

As is typical, the early shoppers went away with a great selection, and great quantity of unique gifts for themselves and others last night. We still have plenty of inventory left as we had a pretty good idea of what crowds would be like this year, and we knew how popular Cimarrona was last year among the patrons.

All the vendors seem to be doing quite well, and it’s just a fun time at the Sons of Hermann Hall. Randy Brodnax and his crew certainly know how to put on the best event of its type in Dallas – year after year.

Friday, Saturday and Sunday I will be at the Sons of Hermann Hall in Dallas at the Randy Brodnax and Friends Christmas Art Sale. It is an event! and if you like to shop handmade, which I hope you do, this is the show for you. It opens Friday at 5:00 (till 9:00). Weekend hours are Saturday 10:00 – 6:00 and Sunday 10:00 – 5:00. Hope you can make it by!

This weekend I was at the Lakewood Market, and I noticed that a number of customers mentioned to me that they were only buying gifts that were made in America this holiday season. This sounds like a grass roots solution that could make a difference to our country’s economic malaise, and quite possible a big difference.

If you are one of those folks that finds yourself buying and giving gifts this time of year, please consider this as a way to personally contribute to the turnaround we need here at home. Who knows, maybe when a debating candidate is asked how to fix the current economic woes, they can shout out- “Buy American Made”, that sure beats any other answer I’ve heard so far! To go a step further, Handmade in America isn’t a bad idea either.

As we headed in for day two at the annual Huffhines Art Walk in Richardson, Texas, yesterday morning, as we got closer, we knew things would be different from Saturday – way different. It was Cimarrona’s first year for the Huffhines Art Trails, and we were told to prepare for weather no matter what.

I had gone off ahead of Leslie on Saturday afternoon to ostensibly, go fly fishing, but my fly fishing friend cancelled, so I drove on to Sanger for the opening of the Bolivar Street Art Gallery that night. From there, I encouraged Leslie to pack it up at Huffhines, not worry about the weather, and head for Sanger. In case you forgot, Cimarrona Hats and Wooligans are available at the new gallery in Downtown Sanger, Texas. Thank goodness she didn’t listen to me, because the weather was perfectly clear in Sanger, but later that night it brewed north of Richardson and blew in with a fury – right through Huffhines Park damaging and destroying booths and their contents. The vast majority survived, and because Leslie had diligently secured her tent and its contents, survived as well. Approximately six vendors were blown completely away – gone.

Leslie had some wind that tore loose some of the tie downs, and display photographs were done in, but overall the booth held and everything that was most important was dry. Mud surrounded us and everyone, but we were dry inside. Leaves from the hail were wet pasted to everyone’s tents – top, front, back and sides. We had been on the windward side all day Saturday, but in typical Texas fashion, the storm came from the opposite direction and we were on the absolute lee.

The event limped through the morning, but by the time church let out in the early afternoon, patrons were once again crowding the booth, and we were even able to get some photographs of little girls who couldn’t get enough of Leslie’s hats and other merchandise. The Wooligans are proving to be quite popular, and these new zipper mouthed characters are selling to adults as much as children.

Today, we are still trying to work up the energy to unload the car after two days of selling almost non-stop. The traveling inventory will be built back up in coming days, and we may have to even make another trip to Sanger to see if their merchandise is holding up.

If you haven’t heard about the Bolivar Street Gallery in Sanger, Texas, check back here for more details and video of that opening last Saturday night. The crowds were there and flowed into the streets of Sanger. We are looking forward to continuing to have merchandise in Sanger, and hope you will visit there for your art and gift giving interests. Be sure to tell them where you heard about them.